Abandoned Flower
by Dismal00
Summary: Sakura changes her mind after the war. It doesn't go that smoothly. A Team 7 Love Story.
1. Chapter 1

It had been a year and a half since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War, and Naruto had been studying the things he would need to learn to become Hokage. He was working with Kakashi and Tsunade on this a few days a week. The other days, he'd do missions or train. But almost every day, he took time out to eat ramen as he was doing right now. It was one of only a couple things that still consistently made him happy.

He had also been spending a lot of time with Hinata. They had gotten fairly close, and Naruto had made a lot of progress in getting over what had happened with Sakura at the end of the war. It still bothered him, but he didn't see Sakura very often, so he rarely thought about it now.

He finished his meal and walked out of the ramen stand. Several feet away was Yamanaka Ino. She waved and walked up to him.

"Hey, Naruto. Sakura wanted to talk to you," she said.

"Really? I wonder what it's about," Naruto replied.

"She didn't tell me, but I bet you're in for a surprise. Good luck, buddy,"

Ino grinned.

"Huh? Whatever, Ino. I'll talk to you later. Where's Sakura-chan now?"

"She's over by the BBQ place. Good luck, buddy," Ino said, still grinning.

"Why did you say that again? Never mind. I'm going."

Naruto turned around and quickly left before Ino could say something ridiculous again. He hurried over to the BBQ restaurant. Sakura was waiting outside, looking somewhat uncomfortable. She was looking around like she was hunting for something. When she saw Naruto, she called out.

"Naruto! I'm over here," she shouted.

"Sakura-chan, hey. How are you doing?" Naruto replied after getting close enough to talk privately.

"I'm fine. Can we go somewhere quiet and talk?"

"Sure, let's go to training field 7."

They walked there briskly without saying much of anything. It was a bit awkward.

When they arrived, they stood at a comfortable distance from each other. Naruto waited for Sakura to start talking about whatever she wanted to talk about. It was several seconds before she finally spoke up.

"So, Naruto... I've been thinking..." she said.

"About Sasuke?" Naruto replied.

Sakura's eye twitched.

"No, not about Sasuke! Do you think everything I do is about Sasuke-kun?"

"Sometimes it seems that way..."

"Ugh, you're making this so difficult for me. Maybe this was a bad idea."

"No, go ahead, Sakura-chan. Say whatever is on your mind. I do want to hear it."

"Thank you. Well... I guess in a way it is about Sasuke-kun. You see, I have spent a lot of time on this. Way too much time. I really don't think I should be with him. He never valued me like you did... He tried to hurt me... My parents told me that going with him would have been a terrible idea. I got mad, but later on I realized they were right. I don't want to be with someone like that," Sakura explained.

"How exactly does all this add up to not being about Sasuke? Not that I disagree. You're totally right. But this is entirely about Sasuke. I don't understand why you're telling me this," said Naruto with a serious expression on his face.

"Naruto... Well... It's just that... I have feelings for you. And I think-"

Naruto cut her off.

"Sakura-chan, we've done this before. You don't. Or if you do, it's not enough that it can compare with how you feel about Sasuke. Don't get me wrong. I'm not telling you to be with Sasuke. I understand where you're coming from, but I'm not on board with this, Sakura-chan."

"We could be really great together though, Naruto... I thought this would make you happy... Why not...?" replied a deflated Sakura.

"Because, Sakura-chan. It would all be over when Sasuke returned. You'd go back to falling all over him like you always did. My heart wouldn't be able to take it."

"I wouldn't, Naruto! I promise. I would never hurt you like that."

"Don't you understand you've already hurt me? We did everything together. You saved my life. I saved yours. I thought our bond would never be broken. But once he was done being evil, you went back to being his fan girl. You said you still loved him. Because you did! You asked to go with him and blushed like your face was burning off. Do you know how that made me feel?"

"You didn't say anything about it at the time..."

"Of course I didn't say anything at the time. Our friendship might be completely over if I had. The strong, independent Sakura I loved seemed like she was dead. The love I did have for you was never going to be the same after that. Surely you can at least understand that?"

"But, Naruto... It would be different now. What do you want me to do?"

Naruto kicked the ground in frustration.

"There's nothing you can do! There's no taking it back, Sakura-chan. I don't know what to tell you."

"So you're saying... Even if Sasuke-kun came back and I wasn't interested... You still wouldn't want to be with me?" Sakura asked, almost disbelievingly.

"Don't you know that I'm with Hinata? I'm not saying that I feel the same way about her as I felt about you. But I'm not going to just drop her because you feel like you want to try this out. It probably wouldn't work and I'm not an asshole, Sakura-chan."

"Do you love Hinata?"

"Not yet... I don't know. We'll see."

"Then do you still love me?"

"I'm not going to answer that. It doesn't matter, Sakura-chan! Why are you doing this to me?"

Naruto was starting to get emotional. His eyes were slightly wet. He was staring through Sakura's skull.

"I don't know... I'm sorry... I thought... I don't know what I thought... I want both of us to be happy... I want things to be like they were before he came back..." Sakura mumbled.

"They won't be, Sakura-chan. They can never be. You should have thought about all this before that bullshit at the end of the war! If I was that important to you, why were you willing to leave me and everyone else?" asked Naruto, looking at her with a pained expression.

"I don't know... Naruto... I was being stupid... I guess I'm really selfish... God, Naruto... I'm so sorry... I didn't think about it, okay?! I didn't think about you! Is that what you want me to say?!"

Sakura began to tear up.

"And that's why, Sakura-chan. I always thought about you. If something would have affected you, I guarantee you that I thought about it. You were everything to me back then. I would have cut the sun in half if it was something you wanted. But all you wanted was him. I was just stupid to think it would be any different," Naruto answered bitterly.

Sakura's eyes widened in response. His words had struck her deeply.

"So there's nothing I can do...? Naruto...?" she asked, weeping.

"Damn it! I haven't even heard that you don't love him anymore! Only that you think you now have too much self-respect to be with him! Did you seriously think I was going to be happy to hear this?"

"Yes... I guess I really am a fool... Sorry, Naruto..."

"It's fine, Sakura-chan. You deserve to talk things out... I'll never say no to you when it comes to that. I just really don't think this is going to work."

"I won't give up, Naruto... Eventually, you'll see that I'm serious... I care so much about you and want the best for you. I want you to know that I won't give up on you..."

"Thanks, Sakura-chan... I'm sorry things turned out this way," said a somber Naruto.

"It's fine... It was my fault, Naruto... All my fault... I'll see you later..." replied a depressed Sakura.

Sakura wiped her eyes before turning her back on Naruto and slowly walking away.

Naruto stood there for a long time, thinking about how things should have been.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, it went that badly, huh?"

At Sakura's house, Sakura and Ino were talking. Sakura's parents were out, so it was just the two of them. Sakura seemed very hurt by what had just transpired with Naruto. Ino was talking to her like a friend would, in hopes of cheering her up.

"It was awful, Ino-pig... He didn't take me seriously for a second. I feel terrible," Sakura said.

"Don't let it get you down, Forehead. You still have Sasuke-kun, right?" Ino cheerfully replied.

"You don't understand! I'm not sure that I could even be happy with Sasuke-kun anymore... Every time I looked at him, I would just be reminded of how I hurt Naruto. I thought it was just a crush. But he loved me so much, Ino!"

Sakura looked at Ino with a severe expression, like she was criticizing her for joking about a tragedy.

"If you could have seen his face... and heard the things he said... I feel like I destroyed something beautiful. I feel like I can never get it back. I'd give anything to have it back... It's all my fault! Why did I want so badly to be the only girl to melt the bad boy prince? Naruto is so unique... He's a wonderful person... He cares about everyone. Why did he love me...? I didn't deserve it... I wasn't qualified to take care of it! Why, Ino?!" Sakura wailed.

Ino moved to embrace Sakura, patting her on the back.

"Calm down... It'll get better, Forehead. You can convince Naruto that-" Ino replied. She was interrupted by Sakura.

"No! You don't get it, Ino. I totally threw him away like he was trash. And he wasn't... He was my most precious person... I wish I was dead, Ino."

Ino pulled back from Sakura and looked at her seriously.

"OK, that's it. That idiot went too far. I'm going to go-"

"Don't you dare! Just leave him alone, Ino-pig... Please. I need to figure out what I'm going to do."

"If you say so, Forehead... Want to do something else? I brought ice cream."

Ino went over to the drawer, grabbed a spoon and held it out to Sakura, grinning. She weakly smiled back.

/

The next day, Sakura was preparing for her work at the hospital. She had been reminded of the pain and guilt again waking up that morning. She stepped into the shower, lost in thought.

 _What on earth should I do...? Should I just leave Naruto alone? Should I act like nothing happened? He deserves to be happy... Am I someone who can only make him miserable? How can I possibly fix this so that he can look at me without feeling hurt...?_ Sakura thought.

 _He was right... There's no way it would have worked out for us... Too many things have happened. Am I even capable of making him happy? God, I don't know..._

 _Do I love him?_

 _... Do I even have the right to love him?_

Sakura finally stepped out of the shower. She put on her medical attire and headed to work.

/

Unbeknownst to Sakura, Ino did plan to find Naruto and talk to him. She was very concerned about her friend, and had a strong suspicion that only Naruto could fix things for her. She located Naruto at the ramen stand and greeted him.

"Naruto, you really hurt Sakura yesterday. I hope you didn't mean to do that to her... She was really upset," Ino said.

"She was upset? I didn't have a choice, Ino. She was asking for something I couldn't possibly do," Naruto replied.

"Why can't you give her a chance? Is this all because you feel bad that she liked Sasuke-kun more than you? Get over it!" Ino snapped at Naruto.

"It has nothing to do with that... It was..." Naruto said before sighing. "Look, I really don't want to explain it. Tell Sakura I'm sorry that I made her feel that way."

Naruto then turned and walked off, leaving his half-eaten bowl of ramen on the counter.

"Naruto! Wait! Damn it..."


	3. Chapter 3

After Sakura got off of work and exited the hospital, she stopped to sit on a bench. She took a deep breath. Her work usually served to distract her from her problems. Lately, though, it just wasn't working. She couldn't go ten minutes without thinking about how Naruto must have felt watching her make that overture towards Sasuke. How heartbroken he must have been to learn that the girl he always loved was probably lost forever. Thinking about him suffering was intolerable to her, but she couldn't stop.

She really wanted to prove to Naruto that she would put him first from now on. Even if it was just as a friend. But she didn't know how to accomplish this.

She decided to go do some training. Her practical ninja skills had gotten a little rusty since the war ended, as she mostly just focused on her job at the hospital. She headed towards the training field where she had spoken with Naruto the previous day.

/

When she arrived, she walked up to a training dummy and put on her gloves. She took off her medical coat and hung it on a tree. She then began to punch the dummy, not using chakra to enhance her strikes.

She hit the dummy. It shook a little.

 _"And that's why, Sakura-chan."_

She hit the dummy a little harder. It absorbed her strike similarly to the first time.

 _"I always thought about you. If something would have affected you, I guarantee you that I thought about it."_

She aimed a roundhouse kick at the dummy's head. It wavered back and forth.

 _"You were everything to me back then. I would have cut the sun in half if it was something you wanted."_

She punched the dummy several times in quick succession. It was just so damn resilient.

 _"But all you wanted was him."_

She hit the dummy in its center mass as hard as she could. It left a bruise, but the dummy was overall still fine.

 _"I was just stupid to think it would be any different."_

Sakura's expression twisted into anger. She needed an outlet for these thoughts that were slowly destroying her.

 _Fuck this..._ thought the frustrated Sakura.

She focused chakra into her hand and struck the dummy. It shattered into pieces. The anguished pinkette fell to her knees.

 _Why...? This is so unfair... I couldn't help what happened... Why did Sasuke-kun have to come back?_

She picked up one of the pieces of the dummy and stared at it.

 _Losing Naruto is something I can't deal with... He's always been the most important person to me. If I lose him, it doesn't matter if I'm with Sasuke-kun, if I love Sasuke-kun, or if Sasuke-kun is good for me... I'll just never be able to feel like anything is okay... What can I do...?_

 _Sasuke-kun's going to come back in a couple months. If I end up falling all over him again, I won't even be able to look Naruto in the eyes... It'll be the end for me and Naruto. I'm not going to let that happen!_

Sakura felt extremely tired. Training after working a full day at the hospital always left her exhausted. She decided it was time to go home. She stood up, grabbed her medical coat off of the tree, and slung it over her shoulder. Leaving the pieces of the shattered dummy behind, she started walking in the direction of her house.

/

Several weeks had passed. Sakura and Naruto continued their routines without having much to do with the other. They would pass each other, and Sakura would smile weakly at him; then Naruto would nod in her direction, occasionally saying "Hi, Sakura-chan."

It was a beautiful spring day, and Naruto had made plans to go out to lunch with Hinata. They met up at her favorite sushi place. Naruto had dressed in a nicer outfit for the occasion. He wore a black jacket that he didn't usually wear and a pair of dark jeans. Hinata was dressed in the way that was typical for her.

"Hey, Naruto-kun... You look really nice today... How are you?" Hinata greeted.

"I'm good, Hinata. Want to go inside now?" Naruto replied.

"Sure! If you want to... Let's go, Naruto-kun."

They walked in and were given a table by the waiter. They sat down across from each other.

"So, what have you been doing, Naruto-kun...? More training to become Hokage? I'm so excited about you being the next Hokage... I think you'll be really great, Naruto-kun..." Hinata said.

"Thanks, Hinata. Yeah, mostly. Some of the stuff I have to learn, I'm not very good at... And Baa-chan isn't very patient with me... It's hard sometimes."

"I believe in you, Naruto-kun. If it's something you want to do, I know that you'll do it... That's just the kind of person you are..." Hinata said with a slight blush.

"I'm glad you think so... I'm going to keep trying my best. It's all I've ever done... It's all I know how to do."

The server brought their food. They started eating the sushi.

"So, have you heard anything about your friend, Sasuke-san? He hasn't been in Konoha for a long time, has he...?" Hinata asked.

Naruto's expression soured a little, but Hinata didn't notice.

"Yeah, we received a letter. He should come back any day now, actually. Heh. That Teme. I wonder what he's been up to..." Naruto mused.

"He's just traveling around the nations...?"

"Yeah... He's on some kind of soul-searching journey. I get it, but... Eh, never mind. Let's talk about something else."

The couple finished their food while continuing to discuss different things. They paid and left.

Naruto walked Hinata to her residence at the Hyuga estate. When they arrived at the gates, Hinata smiled at Naruto.

"I had a great time, Naruto-kun... Thank you," she said shyly.

"Me too, Hinata... Well... I'll see you later, then?"

"Okay... Bye, Naruto-kun."

She leaned in and gave Naruto a kiss on the cheek. Naruto grinned sheepishly at her. She checked in with the guards and walked through the gates. Naruto turned around and started walking to his home. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.

 _Sakura-chan... I wonder if she really isn't interested in Teme? That's what I thought she said, but..._ Naruto thought.

He got to his apartment and walked inside.

 _Well, we're going to find out..._


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura was at her home relaxing on a couch. Her mother was doing something in the kitchen that involved a lot of noise with pots and pans. Sakura's mind was still on Naruto. As Sasuke's return grew closer, she found herself thinking about Naruto more and more often. It wasn't as painful as it was in the days after they had that conversation on the training field, but it still bothered her greatly. She was determined to find a way to fix things with him. At the very least, she didn't want to allow Sasuke's return to make things any worse.

She had no idea what she was going to do about Sasuke and it scared her. She couldn't bear the thought of hurting Naruto again. When it had first happened, Sasuke was leaving and she felt desperate to act. It's not that she wanted to leave Konoha, she just wanted him to understand that she still felt strongly about him and that she was willing to be there for him. She didn't have time to think about how it would be perceived. She really just wanted him to stay, but apparently, his sins were no concern of hers.

 _Is that really true...? His sins don't concern me? He did come close to killing me... If Naruto hadn't been there, I would be dead right now... Why am I still so attached to Sasuke-kun?_ Sakura thought.

 _And why is it that I can't bear to hurt Naruto? When I learned that I had broken his heart at the end of the war, it destroyed me... I haven't been able to stop thinking about it for months now. It's like if he hurts, I hurt, too... I've always thought that if you love someone who's hurting, you want to take that pain away even if it means feeling it yourself... That's how I feel about Naruto._

 _Also, I can't find it in myself to be happy for him that he's with Hinata. It just seems wrong... I've always felt like it should be me spending that time with him, despite the existence of Sasuke-kun. I'm so torn..._

 _The problem is, I just can't bring myself to forget about Sasuke-kun. I've always thought about him and how I could possibly help him. Is it because I've invested so much time and energy, and because it was so difficult, I'm not willing to let him go and admit that it was all for nothing...?_

 _With Naruto, everything was so easy. We'd smile and laugh... We were a wonderful team... While thinking about Sasuke-kun was just pain and heartbreak._

 _But I still want him to acknowledge me. It's twisted, but even though it hurt Naruto, I still feel so good about myself just because Sasuke-kun thought I was someone worth coming back to... Ugh, I'm really not proud of most things that have happened between Sasuke-kun and I..._

 _I really think I need to move on, whether or not things go back to the way they were with Naruto... Sasuke-kun would never make me a priority in his life. And even if he did, I'm not sure if I could live with myself... The guilt when I look at Naruto... Watching Naruto with Hinata... Naruto drifting away from me... It's intolerable to me... I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun._

 _Well, it's time to go..._

Sakura got up and started to walk out.

"Bye, mom!" she called.

"Take care of yourself, Sakura dear! Don't fall in love with any missing ninjas!" Sakura's mother replied cheerily.

The pinkette rolled her eyes before shutting the front door.

/

Naruto had just arrived at the Hokage office to start his training for the day. Kakashi was sitting behind the desk while Tsunade discussed something with him. The hat of the Hokage was hanging on a hook on the other end of the room. Naruto eyed it longingly. The two senior ninja glanced at him.

"Yo, Naruto," Kakashi said.

"Brat! Good, you're here," Tsunade commented.

"Hey Sensei, Baa-chan... What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"I have news for you. We received word from a Jonin who reported in from a mission earlier this morning. Apparently, he saw your Uchiha friend walking down the road towards Konoha. He should be here sometime late tonight," Tsunade explained.

"Oh, that's great... Does Sakura-chan know?"

"She was here at the time, so yes..."

"Sakura-chan was here...? Really...?"

"She wanted to know if there was any news on him... It was really quite a coincidence."

Upon hearing this, Naruto looked down at the ground morosely.

 _Really, Sakura-chan...? I thought you... Why do I always get my hopes up for nothing...?_ Naruto mentally lamented.

"Naruto!" Tsunade suddenly barked.

"Baa-chan?"

"Listen... Don't give up on her. Sakura is just like me. But that Uchiha brat is nothing like Dan. She won't forget about you. The two of you are just like we were... Jiraiya and I made so many mistakes. He was dead before we could fix all of them. But I believe in you two. Please, promise me you won't give up, Naruto," Tsunade urged, looking at Naruto with eyes full of emotion.

"Baa-chan... I never give up. It's my ninja way... It's just that so many things have happened. I don't know what to think anymore."

"It was the same with me and that idiot. Love isn't easy. But you can't hide from it, Naruto! When Sakura finally makes up her mind, be honest with her. Don't you dare run away," Tsunade ordered.

"I won't, Baa-chan..."

"Good. I'll kick your ass if you do."

The blonde rubbed the back of his head nervously. He went to examine the documents that Tsunade had laid out for him.

/

When Naruto woke up the next day, he got dressed and quickly headed over to the Uchiha district to talk to Sasuke. He really wanted to figure out what the deal was with Sakura. He raced over there, hopping on roofs to get there faster. When he arrived, he went to the house that Sasuke usually used and knocked on the door.

"Teme! You there? Open up!" Naruto called.

There was no answer, so Naruto started knocking harder.

"Teme!"

Suddenly, the door swung open. An irate Sasuke was standing in the doorway, wearing a pair of black pajamas.

"Dobe... What do you want? It's too early," spoke the Uchiha.

"Hey, Teme! Welcome back! I hope your trip was fun. Did you talk to Sakura yet?" Naruto asked in an excited tone.

"Dobe... You can't be serious. You came here at... 6:30 in the morning... After I had been travelling through most of the night... On foot... to ask me if I talked to Sakura? Sakura?! Usuratonkachi! Why do you even care? No, don't answer that. Just get out of here," Sasuke snapped.

He slammed the door in Naruto's face.

"Teme...?" Naruto called timidly.

He decided to bring this issue up to Sasuke at another time. The blonde quickly departed the Uchiha district.

/

Later on, Sakura was on her way to eat lunch with Ino. She entered the BBQ restaurant and saw Ino sitting at a booth that was located far away from the door. Sakura hurried over to her.

"Ino-pig!" she greeted.

"Hey, Forehead. Did you see Sasuke-kun yesterday? His clothes are really weird now. I don't get what happened to his fashion sense. He was so sharp-looking when we were in the Academy," Ino replied.

"No, I didn't see him. I was too tired, so I slept... Did you talk to him?"

"I said hello to him... He didn't really have much to say. What are you going to do?"

"I guess I'll try to meet up with him along with Naruto or some of our other friends... I'm not sure what I'll do if I end up alone with him. I don't know what he expects from me or how I'm going to feel..."

"Oh man... Do you think he's looking for you?"

"I don't know... I don't think so...? We'll see, I guess."

"Good luck, Forehead..."

/

 _So Sasuke-kun should be up and about now... Hopefully I don't run into him alone. I'm not ready yet,_ Sakura thought.

Sakura was walking back to her home after having lunch with Ino. It was the middle of the afternoon. She was brooding as she turned a corner. She saw a familiar head of black hair behind a group of people. It looked like the figure was wearing dark clothes and some kind of cloak.

 _Oh, no... Crap! Should I hide? No, I don't want to look like an idiot. I just have to face this._

She continued walking, her gaze fixed on the raven-haired figure. The people obstructing her view slowly cleared out, and it became obvious that it was indeed Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun...?" Sakura called out.

Sasuke stopped walking. He turned his head to look at her, When their eyes met, Sakura felt a blush appear on her face.

 _Damn it... Why can he always do this to me? There are lots of other good-looking men. Hell, Naruto is one of them. Why is it only him?_

She continued walking to get close enough to have a conversation. Sasuke waved limply at her as she approached.

"Hn. So it's you, Sakura. How are you?" Sasuke said.

 _That was actually a really warm greeting by his standards..._

"I'm fine, Sasuke-kun. How about you?" Sakura replied.

"Hn."

There was an awkward silence. The Uchiha stared expectantly at Sakura. She decided to speak what was on her mind.

"Listen, Sasuke-kun... I'm not sure I'm ready for anything serious right now... I hope I didn't give you the wrong idea back then."

He looked at her oddly before replying.

"That's fine, Sakura. This is all new to me... Back then, I just wanted to show that I think of you as an important friend."

Sasuke gave his best attempt at a smile. Sakura blushed again.

 _Argh, he would have to be like that now... Stop making this so hard for me!_

"Oh, I see. Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

Sakura decided to change the subject.

"So, did you talk to Naruto yet?"

"Yes... unfortunately."

They continued to discuss small things. The pinkette's mind was wandering.

 _Why do I still crave his acknowledgment? It's not like he ever gave it to me back then... If I never got it, why did I always feel like I wanted more of it?_

 _Wait, that isn't true... There was that one time. Though it was strange... What was going on with him that day?_

She decided there would be no better time than now to ask Sasuke about it. He was in the middle of discussing his travels through Earth Country. She waited for him to finish his current thought before interjecting.

"Um, Sasuke-kun? This is an odd question, but... What do you think of my forehead?"

Sasuke stared blankly at her for a few seconds.

"Your... forehead? I honestly can't say... I understand that you're insecure about it, but I don't understand why..."

His eyes shifted up and to the left. The raven was in a state of contemplation regarding this matter. After a pause, he continued.

"Hn. Your image has been recorded by my Sharingan several times. Were I to attempt to recall one of these images, your forehead would not be the catalyst that I would focus on. I would likely use your hair, as it's very unique... If your hair wasn't visible in the image, then I would use your eyes, as they are also somewhat unusual. All I can tell you is that your forehead isn't something that I find remarkable enough to use for this purpose," Sasuke explained.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, before slowly narrowing in understanding.

 _Wow... that is the most I've ever heard him say about such a mundane topic... But wait... That means that it wasn't him! Then was it Naruto...? It must have been...!_

Sakura smiled to herself. She idly touched her forehead, lost in her thoughts.

 _That boy with the warm eyes who looked at me with so much love... It was Naruto... He understood me that well, all the way back then... And said something so sweet... But..._

The pinkette suddenly frowned.

 _I only had horrible things to say about him... I talked about him like he was just an annoying pest... Someone worthless in my eyes... How could I...?_

She was looking down and away from Sasuke, mentally cursing herself.

 _I couldn't have been more wrong... Even back then, all he wanted was to keep everyone happy and safe... Why was I so self-centered?_

As she finished this line of thought, the man across from her spoke up.

"Sakura, are you alright? You've been spacing out for a long time," he stated.

Her head snapped up to regard Sasuke once again.

"Oh, sorry! Yes," Sakura replied.

 _Naruto... I'm never going to take you for granted again... I promise,_ thought a determined Sakura.

"Listen, Sakura. I have to leave. I have other business that I have to take care of. I'll see you soon."

"OK, Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke extended his hand to poke her forehead as he had done in the past. He found himself poking the back of her hand.

The Uchiha retracted his hand and gazed questioningly at Sakura, who was covering her forehead with her right hand.

"Sasuke-kun... Don't touch the merchandise," Sakura said, smiling coyly.

The pinkette waved goodbye to Sasuke, then turned and walked away with a happy bounce in her step.

She felt very fond of her forehead now.

Sasuke stood there for some time, completely perplexed as he watched Sakura walk away.

 _Why are_ _kunoichi from Konoha all so strange...?_ he wondered.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a couple days after Sasuke's return. Naruto had been hanging out with him quite often. Sakura seemed strangely busy. The one time that the three of them had been together, they just trained for a couple hours without saying much of anything. Naruto had the distinct sense that Sakura was waiting for an opportunity to be alone with either himself or Sasuke. Since he wasn't much of an optimist in this case, he assumed it was the latter.

He had been on another date with Hinata that went similarly to the last one. He was really starting to feel guilty over his lack of commitment to Hinata. He wanted to figure out what existed between him and Sakura so that he could be fair to Hinata. Hinata had mentioned that her father was interested in talking with him, but she didn't know what it pertained to.

Naruto was leaving the ramen stand when a formally dressed Hyuga approached him and began to speak.

"Greetings, Uzumaki-san. Hiashi-sama would like you to attend a dinner at his residence tonight at 1900 hours," said the Hyuga messenger.

"OK, I'll come. Can I ask why he wants me there?" Naruto said.

"That would not be appropriate to explain at this time. All will become clear. Thank you, Uzumaki-san."

The Hyuga bowed and walked off.

 _Hiashi's place... I've been to dinner there several times before, but he's never arranged it like this... What's going on?_ Naruto wondered.

Naruto decided to go back to his apartment to rest and prepare for the formal dinner at the Hyuga estate.

/

Sakura was making her rounds in the hospital. She felt much better about the situation with Naruto after having talked to Sasuke, but nothing had changed from Naruto's end. As determined as she was, she didn't want to make a rash decision and ruin things between her and Naruto. At the same time, she didn't want to wait too long and have him assume that she was trying to get closer to Sasuke. She had made an effort to dissuade Naruto from that assumption, but she wasn't sure it was working.

 _How do I approach Naruto about this...? I don't know if he'll ever believe that I love him... Maybe it's best to just try to get closer to him again and take it slow...? What about Hinata, though...? Is she attached to Naruto to the point that losing him will make her suffer? She's always loved Naruto... This is a really difficult situation..._ Sakura thought.

 _I'm going to take my time. I'll show him that I care about him and that I'm not chasing Sasuke-kun anymore. Hopefully we can become close friends again and then things won't be so awkward. Right now, it's not a good time for any drastic action..._

She sighed deeply and moved on to the next patient. She sorely needed her lunch break about now.

/

Sasuke was training by himself. He really didn't get what was going on with his two teammates. After Sakura's bizarre behavior the other day, which he had absolutely no idea how to explain, he had barely seen her. Naruto, on the other hand, was stuck to him like glue. The Dobe was a constant presence in his life. It seemed almost as if he was protecting Sasuke from something, which would be ridiculous given their status as the two strongest ninjas in the world. It was a mystery that he had no idea how to begin to solve, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to know the answer.

He began working on his shurikenjutsu. This was something that could always take his mind off things, because it made him think about Itachi. When Sasuke started thinking about his brother, he found it really difficult to view anything else as being remotely important.

He tossed a pair of shuriken, one after the other. The second shuriken struck the first, causing it to bank at a 90 degree angle and hit close to the bullseye on the target. Then he repeated this action for an hour or so as he wondered what Itachi was thinking about during his last days.

 _Are you still watching over me, Nii-san?_ Sasuke thought.

/

Naruto had gotten ready for the Hyuga dinner. He was dressed in the sole formal kimono that he owned. It was a simple black color. He had asked for an orange one, but the store's proprietor had thought he was joking, so he was too embarrassed to ask for it again. He put on his sandals and left his home, heading for the Hyuga estate.

When he arrived, he checked in with the gate guards. They had his name listed and directed him where to go for Hiashi's gathering, even though he already knew the location because he had been there a number of times before. He made his way to the large building where the main house of the Hyuga clan resided and he went inside.

Inside were Hiashi, Hinata, her sister Hanabi, as well as many other Hyuga, many of which he recognized, but few of which he knew the names of. All were dressed formally, in attire that looked rather expensive. The sea of white eyes shifted to regard him as he walked in. He saw Hinata smiling shyly, while Hanabi merely gave him a blank glance. Hiashi's daughters remained passive, allowing their father the honor of officially welcoming him as a guest in their home.

"Ah, hello, Naruto-san. Welcome. I'm delighted that you decided to come," Hiashi said in greeting.

Naruto slightly resented the implication that it would have been at all acceptable to Hiashi if he had decided _not_ to come. He was fairly sure that the old man would have forbidden him from ever returning if he had.

"Thanks, Hiashi-sama... I'm happy to be here," Naruto said sheepishly. He tried to resist the urge to scratch the back of his head.

"I would like to speak with you about an important matter, but that can wait until after we've eaten. You arrived right on time, we're about ready to start."

"Very well, sir... I'll be sure to speak with you afterwards."

Naruto proceeded to the dining area along with the group of Hyuga. They all sat down in formal seiza. Naruto hated seiza.

 _Ugh... This is going to hurt later,_ Naruto thought.

/

The dinner proceeded uneventfully. Fortunately, he had been seated next to Hinata, so he had someone he could talk to about things unrelated to Hyuga politics and the ultimate destiny of the Hyuga clan. Hinata smiled at him a lot and was nice enough to laugh at his jokes, even though he knew they really weren't her kind of humor. He got the impression that she just liked the sound of his voice.

When the dinner was over, Hiashi made a motion for Naruto to remain in the room. Everyone else, including Hinata, exited fairly quickly. Hiashi then spoke.

"Naruto-san, we can discuss this in my private office. I'll put a privacy seal up so we won't be overheard," Hiashi offered.

"Sure, Hiashi-sama... I'll follow you," Naruto replied.

He followed Hiashi to a quiet and secluded part of the house. When Hiashi opened the door, Naruto could see that the room was quite small. It wouldn't be comfortable for more than 3 or 4 people to stand in. When Naruto entered, Hiashi closed and locked the door. Hiashi then took a seat behind an ornate desk. He applied the privacy seal while beckoning for Naruto to sit down and the blonde did so.

The Hyuga leader was looking at Naruto seriously.

"Very well, Naruto-san. I'll get straight to the point. How are things with my daughter?" Hiashi asked.

"They're good... She's a really great person. She really cares about other people," Naruto replied.

"I'm pleased to hear that, Naruto-san. To put it simply, I would like to arrange a marriage between you and Hinata."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Really...? Uh... I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to marrying her, eventually... I'm just not sure we're there yet, Hiashi-sama."

"What are your concerns?"

"Um... I'm just not sure that we should spend the rest of our lives together, yet..."

Hiashi's gaze on him became more intense.

"Is that really the issue? You've been together for quite some time. Are you sure it's not your misgivings regarding Haruno-san?"

 _Underestimating this man would be a fatal mistake,_ Naruto thought.

"I didn't know you knew about that... Yes, that's an issue, too..."

"I urge you to move on. It's in your own best interest. You wish to be Hokage? The support of the Hyuga clan is something unique. You cannot replace it with the support of any number of common ninja clans. Don't make a mistake you will later regret. If you were to marry Hinata, I can guarantee you that the Hyuga would support you unanimously and unconditionally. If you do not marry Hinata, I cannot guarantee anything. I have a good opinion of you, but I alone do not decide matters for the Hyuga."

"I just don't know, Hiashi-sama... Do I have to decide right now?"

"We can make a tentative agreement at this time. If you change your mind within 30 days, you can back out if you like and no serious harm will be done. But this is necessary. The wedding of the Hyuga heiress is no small event. We need time to prepare, and many assets need to be organized to that end. It must take place during a warm season, and we have to ensure the attendance of many esteemed guests from all over the Elemental Nations. It's extremely difficult to arrange. If we choose to delay any further, you would likely have to wait multiple years to marry Hinata."

"Is Hinata okay with it?"

"Hinata has already agreed. It's up to you, Naruto-san."

Naruto thought about it. He liked Hinata and had no real expectation of finding anyone he would be more interested in. He didn't love her as he did Sakura, but he expected to find out about Sakura one way or the other in the next 30 days. There really was no downside to accepting that he could see, aside from Hiashi possibly being offended if he backed out. But the man would likely be offended if he declined at any point. With some trepidation, he decided to agree.

"OK, Hiashi-sama... I'll accept, but I can't promise I won't back out..."

Hiashi smiled upon hearing this. He seemed quite pleased at even this level of commitment.

"I understand, Naruto-san. I appreciate your candor. Thank you for working with me on this. You will hear more in the near future."

Hiashi stood up and bowed. Naruto bowed in return. The Hyuga head deactivated the privacy seal and unlocked the door to allow Naruto to exit. He bid farewell to Naruto. Naruto nodded at him before moving to exit the premises. As he was walking out, he saw Hinata standing in one of the halls, seemingly waiting to see him. She smiled at him. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled nervously back.

 _What the hell have I gotten myself into...?_ _Sakura-chan... Please tell me what you're thinking..._


	6. Chapter 6

It was the day after Naruto had spoken with Hyuga Hiashi. Naruto had gotten pretty hungry after the training he had done that morning, so he went to the ramen stand. When he walked in, he saw that it was quite crowded. The majority of people there were regular customers that he had seen many times before. They were almost all civilians, but all of them knew him by name due to his feats defending Konoha as well as his loyalty to Ichiraku's cooking. As he took a seat between two men who were eating, they both turned to look at him with smiles.

"Naruto-sama! Congratulations!" one of them said.

"Yeah! Congratulations, Uzumaki-san!" the other said, patting him on the back.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, confused.

Ayame walked over to take his order. She was smiling warmly at Naruto.

"Your engagement to Hyuga Hinata, silly! Everyone is talking about it, Naruto-kun!" Ayame chirped.

"People know about that...?"

"Of course! There hasn't been news this big since the war ended! I'm so happy for you, Naruto-kun!"

 _Great... Nobody told me it would be like this. I thought the Hyugas would just prepare it quietly,_ Naruto thought.

"Well, thanks, I guess," Naruto mumbled.

Several customers had gathered where Naruto was sitting and had begun asking him questions.

"How long have you two been dating?"

"How did you first meet Hinata-sama?"

"Did you fall in love with her when she helped you against Pain? That's an amazing story!"

"When's the wedding?"

"It must have been so romantic when you proposed, Naruto-kun! I wish I had seen it! What was it like?"

This continued for some time. Naruto hadn't even been able to order his ramen yet. His stomach growled.

 _Argh... I have no idea how to deal with this. I need food..._ Naruto thought miserably.

/

At the same time, Sakura had met up with Ino for lunch as was routine for the pair. She had just taken a seat across from Ino, who was smiling awkwardly at her.

"Ino-pig. What's up?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing on my end... How are you doing with everything, Forehead?" Ino asked gently.

"Uh, things are great...?"

"So... Naruto?"

"Oh! I feel so much better about it now... When I talked to Sasuke-kun, I learned something amazing. I know now that I'm in love with Naruto... It's completely different from how it was with Sasuke-kun. It feels wonderful, Ino..."

Sakura looked down at the table, smiling to herself contemplatively.

"Naruto would have cut the sun for me... I'm going to show him that I feel the same way about him. I want to stand by him and support his dream forever, Ino... That's what my heart tells me," Sakura explained.

"Uh... Forehead..." Ino said cautiously.

Sakura looked up at Ino, still smiling.

"Mm?"

The blonde was staring at Sakura with a dire expression.

"Naruto's getting married to Hinata..."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock.

"What?! You can't be serious... Please tell me you're joking...!" said a pole-axed Sakura.

"Forehead... Everyone is talking about it. I don't know what to say... I'm really sorry," Ino replied apologetically.

She had pity in her eyes as she looked at Sakura.

"Oh my god... I have to find out what's going on... I can't stay here, Ino..."

Sakura stood up and tossed some coins on the table.

"Here, get whatever you want... I'm going to go look for Naruto. Bye, Ino-pig!" Sakura said before running off.

Ino watched the pinkette run out of the restaurant. She picked up the coins, rolling them around in her hand as she thought to herself.

 _What are you going to do, Forehead...?_ Ino wondered.

/

Sakura was running around the village in search of Naruto. She heard murmurs of people talking about Naruto and Hinata.

"The Leaf's hero and the heiress of the Hyuga clan are getting married!" one woman said excitedly.

"I know! They are really suited to be with each other!" another woman replied.

 _Damn it... Why does this world hate me?_ Sakura thought.

She looked for Naruto in the typical places. She went to his apartment, the Hokage office, and the training field where they had spoken months ago. Naruto was nowhere to be found at any of them. Sakura wondered where else he could possibly be at this time of day.

 _Oh, obviously... I should have gone there first._

She hurried towards the ramen stand. Sakura knew that he was probably inside, so she just walked in. Looking around, she saw a familiar blonde head of hair. The pinkette walked up behind him.

"NARUTO!" Sakura barked.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto replied timidly.

He didn't turn around out of fear of what would happen if he did. Suddenly, he felt a powerful force tugging on the collar of his jacket. He fell out of his chair and felt himself being dragged across the floor of the ramen stand.

"Ow! Sakura-chan... What are you doing?! I wasn't done with my ramen..." Naruto whined.

Sakura looked back at the counter and saw four empty bowls stacked up.

"Shut up, baka... Come with me."

She dragged Naruto outside and then around the building. He eventually found himself staring at the back wall of the ramen stand. It was a secluded spot, and people rarely had a reason to go back there. He felt the force that had been dragging him cease as Sakura's hand relinquished control of his jacket, leaving him sitting on the ground. He stood up and dusted himself off. He looked at Sakura, flinching when he saw that she clearly wasn't pleased.

"Naruto, what the hell?" Sakura asked angrily.

"Huh?" Naruto replied.

"What's this about you marrying Hinata?! Are you crazy? There's no way you two could have gotten close enough to get married already!"

"I don't know, Sakura-chan... I didn't think people would find out about it this soon."

"Why are you doing this? Are you just trying to get away from me?!"

"Sakura-chan... Do you seriously expect me to dump Hinata just because you suddenly found feelings for me five years later? Is that really fair to her? Or to me? You can't-"

There was a fire in Sakura's eyes as she suddenly shouted over him as he was talking.

"That's bullshit, Naruto! I always liked you! That's something you never understood... Ever since you came back from traveling with Jiraiya-sama, I knew I liked you..."

The pinkette lowered her head, seemingly reminiscing. Naruto stared at her blankly.

"I thought you were great... I loved spending time with you! If you had asked me to be your girlfriend, I would have punched you... Then I would have blushed..." Sakura explained nostalgically.

She looked up at Naruto, still with a burning gaze.

"And said yes! Yes, I'd love to..."

Her tone was almost mocking. She let out a bitter laugh.

"But you never fucking said anything! You even stopped asking me out on dates... So I eventually told you I loved you..."

She smiled sadly.

"And maybe I didn't..."

Her smile faded.

"But I wanted to be with you, you bastard!"

She took a step closer to Naruto. He watched her with wide eyes.

"I wanted you to hold me and tell me you'd protect me forever... And I wanted to do the same for you. I wanted us to face Sasuke-kun together! But you called me a liar and pushed me away, humiliating me in front of everyone. I was so angry..."

Her fists were clenched at her sides, and she was trembling slightly.

"I couldn't believe that I finally chose you over Sasuke-kun and you rejected me! So I tried fighting Sasuke-kun by myself and totally failed, making me feel useless. It was never the same between us after that..."

She looked away from Naruto with a hurt expression.

"When Sai told me you loved me, I was really looking forward to being with you... I thought the two of us were going to be happy together, so happy that Sasuke-kun couldn't possibly hurt me anymore... But you told me to get lost!"

Her voice was starting to crack. She glared at the blonde once again.

"So that attraction that I had for you started to starve to death... There was only Sasuke-kun... That's how we got into this fucked up situation! You pushed me towards him... God damn it, Naruto...!"

The pinkette was shaking with a rage that she could barely control. The feelings she had for Naruto and the guilt she felt over what had happened made her reluctant to hold him at fault for how this situation had progressed. But now that he was going to marry Hinata, she refused to allow him to blame her for everything.

Sakura really wanted to hit Naruto, but she needed to hear his response. He was looking at her seriously.

"Sakura-chan... A lot of that is probably true, but-" Naruto said before being cut off by Sakura again.

"It's all true, Naruto! What, do you think that my answer to every problem is to just start lying? When have you known me to be like that? Maybe I didn't love you, but I wanted to be with you, you stupid idiot! Why couldn't you just take it at face value?! I really liked you... I didn't know that using the words 'I love you' would ruin everything! It's like you think a girl's feelings are simple. They aren't! Do you feel like you did the right thing by saving me from lying to myself? Do I look happy to you, Naruto?!" Sakura shouted, still glaring at him furiously.

"No... I guess not," Naruto said softly.

He was at a loss to justify his actions towards Sakura. He had hurt her by saying that he hated people who lied to themselves, but that in itself had been a lie. He loved her.

Sakura took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down before regarding Naruto with a more neutral expression.

"Listen to me. I get it. You don't want to be with me. You're disgusted by the way that I acted in front of Sasuke-kun. I've hurt you too much in the past, so it will never work. But please, Naruto! Stay true to yourself. It barely seems like you're more than friends with Hinata. Everyone says you're just going through the motions! There's no excitement from you. Back when we were really close, your eyes would light up when you saw me..."

She gazed at Naruto sadly. Thinking about the past hurt her since she didn't think it would ever be that way again.

"You looked at me like I was your whole world... I'm so sorry that it isn't like that anymore... But I can't bear to watch you live a life you don't want, Naruto... Please don't marry Hinata unless you really love her..." Sakura pleaded.

Naruto felt guilty and conflicted. He could no longer understand why he had thought it was a good idea to agree to what Hiashi had proposed. He looked at Sakura wistfully.

"Sakura-chan... I don't know what's going on either... I'm sorry about this... It isn't what I intended at all... Maybe I'll talk to the Hyugas," Naruto said.

"Sure, Naruto... I just want you to be happy."

"I hope I will be... I'm sorry I screwed up so many times, Sakura-chan. I want you to know that I still care for you a lot... But I have to go. Baa-chan is expecting me..."

"Thanks, Naruto... I'll see you later..."

He looked at her one last time before vanishing in a shunshin. An emotional Sakura continued to stare at the spot he had been standing in.

 _Naruto..._


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Naruto had gone to Sasuke's home early in the morning again. This time, the Uchiha had gotten his beauty sleep so Naruto was able to get him to agree to do some training. They headed to the nearest training field together.

When they arrived, they started off by sparring with taijutsu for a few minutes. They focused on the spar, not saying a word to each other. They never needed to speak when they were like this. After they had been fighting for some time, Sasuke's eyes met the blonde's and it was mutually understood that they both wanted to move on to something else. Naruto jumped back and started using ninjutsu that the raven would respond to with equal power, creating a balanced clash that didn't force either combatant to move out of the way.

After a few of these exchanges, Sasuke made a gesture towards Naruto signifying that he wanted him to stop. When Naruto lowered his hands, Sasuke walked up to him. Naruto watched him with a questioning expression.

"Dobe. I heard something yesterday while I was walking around. Are you really getting married?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know, Teme. I'm not sure what I'm doing with my life anymore," Naruto answered, looking away from Sasuke.

Sasuke fixed the blonde with a piercing stare.

"What the hell is going on, Dobe? Sakura was acting really strange as well. What happened while I was away?"

"I'm sure she still likes you, Teme... She's just going through some stuff right now... Give her some time."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"That doesn't concern me. What does concern me is that it seems like both of you are walking on eggshells around me and now you're suddenly getting married. To the Hyuga girl? You've never even mentioned her before."

"There was no reason to mention her... I don't know what to tell you, Sasuke."

"Hn. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. When I return, the two of you had better be back to normal. I'm tired of this."

Sasuke looked at Naruto meaningfully before jumping back and signaling him to resume. Naruto nodded. Both young ninjas flashed through hand signs.

/

Sakura was doing her shift at the hospital. While attending to a patient, she thought about what had happened with Naruto yesterday. She didn't know what to do now that he was marrying Hinata. She had expected to have much more time to repair her relationship with him. The prospect of him marrying Hinata scared her because it would mean that things between her and Naruto would never go back to the way they were. She wanted him to show her affection again. The pinkette sorely missed the days when she was Naruto's most precious person.

 _I'm sure he understood why I got so angry... He never could see how I felt towards him. He always thought that my feelings were only for Sasuke-kun. He was so wrong... He never learned how important he was to me, and now everything has changed... I don't like it at all,_ Sakura thought.

 _I thought I would have more time... It's not like I can stop him from marrying Hinata if that's what he wants to do... I thought they weren't that close... I thought he didn't love her... Was I wrong?_

 _No... I'm not going to give up. This is too important. I need to be completely honest with Naruto and find out exactly how he feels. If he really loves Hinata, I'll accept that and try to move on. But if I don't do anything and he marries her, I would regret that forever... Well, I'm going to be regretting my decisions forever in any case if he marries her. Why did things have to go this way?_

 _I don't think I could live with losing Naruto for good and knowing that I was the one who made him give up on me... It would be so painful seeing him with Hinata. I feel like the two of us had always been perfect for each other. Why was I so blinded by Sasuke-kun's pretty face? Damn it!_

Sakura finished up with the patient and smiled at them. They nodded in reply. She moved on to the next room.

/

That night, Naruto went to the Hyuga estate. Earlier in the week, he had made plans to go out to dinner with Hinata. She was standing outside looking more nervous than usual. He walked up to her with a casual smile on his face. When she saw him, she didn't return the smile as she usually did.

"Hey, Hinata... How are you?" Naruto asked.

"Good... Listen, Naruto-kun... Let's not go on a date tonight. Can you just come inside and talk to me for a little bit?" Hinata asked with a serious expression on her face.

"Sure... What's wrong, Hinata?"

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun... Just follow me, OK?"

Naruto followed Hinata inside the estate. They went to the main house Hyuga building where the dinner had been held the other day. She walked Naruto to her room and shut the door. She turned around and looked into his eyes. The bluenette seemed very concerned about something.

"Naruto-kun... I'm sorry that news about the marriage is all over the village. I didn't know that my father would do that... Please forgive me," Hinata stated apologetically.

"It's OK... I should have expected it... The marriage of the Hyuga heiress is a big deal... And I'm kind of famous too... Haha," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head and laughing nervously.

"Still, I'm sorry about that, Naruto-kun... And I need to tell you something."

"What is it, Hinata?"

Her eyes shifted down and to one side.

"I didn't agree to marry you because I love you... I agreed because I wanted to see what you would do."

"What I would do...?"

"I do love you Naruto-kun... Very much. But I don't get the sense that you want to move our relationship forward. I don't know what it is... Maybe you don't feel that way about me, or you still love Sakura-san... But either way, your answer would help me understand what you wanted."

Naruto's eyes widened. He had wanted to figure out the situation with Sakura to be fair to her, but Hinata had already been a step ahead of him.

"Hinata, I'm sorry... Recently, I've felt more unsure and conflicted than ever about what I want to do with my life... You're great and I really like you... Please don't think that you did anything wrong..."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun... Just know that I want you to do what makes you happy. Only marry me if you're sure about it... I refuse to trap you, Naruto-kun. I will be the one to back out if it seems like that's the case. I love you too much to force you to be with me if it's not what you really want..."

"Hinata... I-" Naruto started to say before being interrupted.

"You need to decide. If you're still in love with Sakura-san or you don't really feel that way about me... I'll be hurt, but I'll survive. But what I cannot live with is being married to you and having to watch you be unhappy... I won't do it, Naruto-kun."

"Wow... I'm so sorry, Hinata. This isn't fair to you at all..."

"Like I said, I'll survive, Naruto-kun... So don't worry about me."

Hinata smiled weakly at Naruto. He looked at her with pain in his eyes.

"OK, Hinata... I'll try to figure things out as soon as I can. But I really don't want to hurt you..."

She gazed at Naruto with a determined expression.

"If you have to hurt me, then just do it... Don't drag it out. I'm stronger than you think, Naruto-kun."

"I know you're strong... I've seen it a few times before. I guess I should go... Again, I'm really sorry..."

Naruto moved to open the door and exit. He glanced at Hinata and smiled sadly. She gave him the best smile she could muster up in return.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun... No matter how painful it is, I want to see you smiling in the end... Bye, Naruto-kun..."

She waved at him gently. Naruto waved back before shutting the door and making his way back out of the Hyuga estate.

 _Hinata just wants the best for me... She's such a kind person. I don't deserve this kind of devotion at all..._ Naruto thought.

 _And Sakura-chan said she always liked me... Why did I push her away like that back then? How could I have done that to her...? I abandoned her... That must have been so awful for her._

 _Then she had to hear from everyone that I was going to marry Hinata... I abandoned her again... I didn't want Sakura-chan to think I had completely given up on her like this. I just wanted her to be completely sure about how she felt so that neither of us would be hurt. But now, both of them are probably suffering over this..._ _Why the hell did I listen to Hiashi?_

He traveled over the rooftops to get to his apartment and went inside.

 _Why am I so bad at this...?_


	8. Chapter 8

On the day of Sasuke's departure, Naruto went to his house to meet him in the morning. They spent a few hours together relaxing in the Uchiha district and discussing old times. In the afternoon, the pair headed towards the village gates, walking side-by-side.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke.

"So, how long are you going to be gone this time, Teme?" Naruto asked.

"Hn... I'm not sure, Dobe. There's many sites of interest regarding the Ootsutsuki family that I need to look into... It's going to take at least a year or so," Sasuke replied, observing Naruto's features as he walked.

Naruto slouched a little.

"Damn, I thought it might be like a normal mission... That sucks. Did you tell Sakura?"

"Yes, I told her that I had to leave today..." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"No reason... Was she disappointed?"

The Uchiha looked at Naruto oddly.

"She seemed fine with it... Why does that even matter to you? Stop being weird, Dobe!"

Naruto glared at Sasuke.

"Teme!"

/

After some more walking and talking, they had made it to the village gates. There they found Ino and Kakashi, who was wearing his Hokage hat. It was a sunny day, and the hat cast a long shadow over the ground. The two waved at Naruto and Sasuke. They waved back and got close enough to talk.

"Hey Naruto, Sasuke-kun!" Ino said cheerfully.

"Sasuke... Take care of yourself out there. I don't want to have to worry about you this time. It was a headache dealing with all the complaints from other villages," Kakashi stated.

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

Naruto looked around. He realized Sakura wasn't there.

"Sakura-chan isn't here?" Naruto asked, somewhat exasperated.

"I haven't seen her at all today," Kakashi replied.

"Dobe... what's the problem now?" Sasuke questioned.

"Damn it, I need to find her. Ino, do you know where she is?" Naruto asked, looking over at his fellow blonde.

"She's at training field 7," Ino explained casually.

She grinned when Naruto turned away from her.

"Got it... Teme, can you wait a second? Let me go get Sakura-chan. Don't leave yet, okay?" Naruto asked Sasuke with a pleading look on his face.

The raven nodded reluctantly at Naruto. Naruto ran off towards the training fields. Ino took a few quick steps in his direction and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"GOOD LUCK, BUDDY!" she shouted.

Sasuke turned his head to look at Ino. She glanced back at him, still grinning. His eyes narrowed in understanding. He looked in the direction Naruto had gone and smirked.

/

Naruto was heading to the training field where he had spoken to Sakura two months ago. He had a frustrated look on his face.

 _Damn it, what is she thinking?_ _This is nothing like her._ _Doesn't she want to see Sasuke before he leaves?_ Naruto wondered.

He got to the training field and saw the figure of Sakura leaning against a large rock. An upset Naruto approached her. She turned her head and regarded him calmly.

"Hey, Naruto," Sakura called out.

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing?! Why aren't you at the gates? Sasuke is leaving! He's going to be gone for at least a year... Don't you want to say goodbye to him? He's our friend, Sakura-chan. He'll be hurt by this," Naruto implored.

"I said goodbye to him yesterday, Naruto."

"But this is the last time he'll be here... I don't get it. Are you just doing this to convince me not to marry Hinata?"

Sakura pulled herself up off the rock and took a few steps towards Naruto. She stood a foot away from him, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Yes, I'm trying to stop you from marrying Hinata. I know that I've fallen in love with you and I don't think I can live without you, Naruto," Naruto's eyes widened. "I know you don't feel the same way anymore, but-"

 _Screw it,_ he thought.

He leaned towards Sakura and pressed his lips to hers. Her lips were much softer than Naruto expected. She quickly reciprocated. Sakura detected a vague hint of ramen underneath his fresh, masculine scent. They both felt the turmoil in their hearts melt away.

After a few seconds, Naruto pulled back and put his hands on her shoulders gently. The thought of bruising her soft skin was unconscionable to him. He stared into her eyes. Her heart soared as she finally felt like she was his whole world again. Sakura knew she had missed that feeling, but she didn't realize how much until now.

"Sakura-chan, I love you so much... I'm so sorry for how things have gone up until now. We both made mistakes and hurt each other... Can we both just promise that we'll do our best from now on?" Naruto said, his voice trembling.

Sakura smiled happily.

"Yes... Of course, Naruto! I'm sorry it took me so long to realize what you mean to me. From now on, I'll protect your love for me... and I'll send it back to you with all my heart, Naruto..."

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her. The blonde blushed at the feeling of her body against his as he returned the embrace.

"I promise..." Sakura whispered.

She leaned up and kissed Naruto. He felt a great sense of contentment now that Sakura had been the one to kiss him. It was something that he had only dreamed of before. He held her tenderly as he returned the kiss, one hand stroking her pink locks. He was trying to show her all the love that he had always felt for her. Though it had been painful, it was never a burden.

His warmth made Sakura feel like she was burning up. She had never felt this way before and it was almost too much for her. It was such a joy to know that Naruto would always stay with her from now on. She thought back to when she had been left alone, standing in the snow. It had been so cold then. This felt so much better. She'd pound Naruto if he did something like that again. The pinkette smiled into the kiss as she imagined how she could playfully punish him in the future.

When they had stopped to take a breath of air, Sakura rested her head against his chest. She could hear his strong heartbeat. She knew now that she needed his love to be the real Haruno Sakura, a fiery kunoichi that could hurt or heal in equal measure. She just wasn't the same without him. She didn't want Sasuke because she needed Naruto. Sakura didn't know if a cherry blossom could grow without the sun. She didn't know what kind of flower would thrive in the darkness. She decided that she never wanted to find out.

Naruto gazed down at the uniquely beautiful and delicate creature that he had in his arms. She was a fairy garbed in pink and red. He didn't understand how he had managed to keep going without her. That seemed so impossible now. Having to watch her keep pining after Sasuke would have done more damage than any of the Uchiha's techniques. He knew that becoming Hokage without her at his side would have brought him no joy. To be a king without his queen would have been an empty existence. Naruto silently thanked whatever higher power was involved in saving him from that fate.

Their eyes met. They both took a small step back and stood face to face again, smiling at each other.

"Naruto... When we were standing here back then and you told me how you felt about me... I realized that your love was something that I didn't want to live without... I was so afraid that I had lost you..." Sakura said. Her eyes were watering. "Thank you so much..."

She gazed at him lovingly. As she blinked, a single tear fell.

"Sakura-chan... No one else is as caring as you... Or as beautiful..." Naruto paused as he brushed the teardrop away with his thumb. He had a tender smile on his face. "You deserve all of it and more... I feel so lucky that Teme had no idea what he was missing out on..."

The blonde's eyes widened. He frowned.

"Crap... We forgot about him..." Naruto said sheepishly.

"Oh... Yeah, we should go to the gates..." Sakura suggested.

Neither of them were in any rush to move as they continued to gaze at each other. Then Naruto grinned and held out his hands, motioning that he could carry her. Sakura laughed and jumped into his arms. He raced to the village gates, carrying the pinkette in a bridal fashion.

/

When they arrived, Sasuke and Ino were gone. Kakashi stood alone outside the gates, facing away from them into the horizon. He held his Hokage hat loosely at his side. Naruto carried Sakura through the gates and stood her on her feet as Kakashi turned to face them. He gave them a deadpan look.

"Sasuke already left," Kakashi stated.

Two pairs of eyes widened.

"He said 'So that's what was going on. Tell them I don't want to see this part,'" Kakashi explained.

He eye-smiled at the couple. They stared out towards the horizon with shocked expressions. Kakashi began walking back into the village, glancing at them as he passed.

"That Teme..." Naruto mumbled in disbelief.

 _Sasuke-kun... I'll see you later,_ Sakura thought.

They both smiled as they thought about their friend and what he meant to them. Then Sakura turned to look at Naruto.

"Naruto... it's time," Sakura said.

The blonde looked at her curiously.

"Time for what, Sakura-chan?" Naruto replied.

Sakura pointed to her forehead. She grinned. Naruto's eyes widened.

"You knew...?" he asked softly.

"We've both been waiting long enough," Sakura replied.

The pinkette used her hand to push her bangs back across her scalp. Then she leaned forward slightly, presenting her forehead to Naruto. He stared at it in awe for a moment.

"Hurry up, baka," Sakura ordered playfully.

She closed her eyes. Naruto leaned forward and kissed the diamond on her forehead gently. He held it for a few seconds before pulling back with a goofy smile on his face. Sakura opened her eyes and smiled shyly back at him.

They gazed at each other in happiness for some time until Naruto spoke up.

"So, Sakura-chan... Wanna go to Ichiraku's?"

"OK, but you're paying!"


	9. AN

_In chapter 4 I suggested that the Sharingan gives the user a photographic memory of sorts. Like if Sasuke wants to memorize something that he sees he can save it and later recall it by focusing on a specific detail. Maybe it could even animate itself since the 2nd tomoe allows you to predict movement?_

/

 _I think the exchange in chapter 6 where Sakura explodes could happen in the post-canon-verse with very few changes in verbage._

 _N_ _aruto should have let Sakura choose her own destiny._

/

 _I want to extend my appreciation to slccpy, without whose review I would have probably left this as a one-shot. I enjoyed writing the rest of it. Ino says thanks, buddy._


End file.
